


The Further Exploits of Dr. June Egbert MD PhD Esq.

by AltUniverseWash



Series: Forever After [12]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, AraJade - Freeform, Aromantic, Aromantic Character, Aromanticism, Asexual Character, Asexuality, CalJuneRoxy, Carapacian culture, Coming Out, Coping, Depression, Dr. June Egbert MD PhD Esq, Existential Angst, Existential Crisis, F/F, F/F/F/F, F/NonBinary/NonBinary, Friendship, Gen, JadeRezi as exes, Lesbian Character, Light-Hearted, Loving relationships, M/M, Multi, Mutualism, Non-binary character, Nonbinary Character, POV Trans Character, Pesterlog(s) (Homestuck), Polyamory, Post-Endgame, Queerplatonic Partnership, Queerplatonic relationship, Self Image, Serious fuck the epilogues, Support Systems, Supportive Relationships, Therapy, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Unrequited Love, What If Everyone Actually Got Therapy?, alt-epilogue, fuck the homestuck epilogues, multi partner relationships, pesterMessages, positive relationship with exes, positivity, queerplatonic AraJade, relationships, rosemary, self discovery, self improvement, self worth, uplifting, vriskanroserezi, vrisrezi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23472733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AltUniverseWash/pseuds/AltUniverseWash
Summary: Doctor Professor June Egbert is committed to helping her friends live their best lives on Earth-C! She's always there to lend a hand as they struggle to understand themselves and each other, explore their identities, and discover how to forge meaningful relationships with each other.This is an ongoing series of short stories set in the Forever After alt-epilogue continuity. It focuses on June Egbert and the people around her on Earth-C as she helps them navigate the oft-fraught waters of their daily lives after Sburb.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Jade Harley/Aradia Megido, June Egbert/Roxy Lalonde/Calliope, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam/Vriska Serket/Terezi Pyrope
Series: Forever After [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664167
Comments: 20
Kudos: 20





	1. A Woman Out of Place and Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. June helps Aradia Megido and Jade Harley navigate their feelings for each other.

June Egbert tapped her clipboard and adjusted her glasses, carefully writing her next patient’s name in her neatly block-printed writing. Up until recently, she’d been almost exclusively helping her friends indirectly – she had only infrequently met up with them in person to conduct her therapy sessions, and it was taking some getting used to.

She had alchemized a long couch for everyone to lie down on, because that was what all the therapists in movies and TV had. Having seen her friends benefit from the process, June regretted having not had the chance to try it herself before her original version of Earth exploded.

Maybe in another life she would’ve figured things out a bit sooner – realized who she was. Had a chance to start living earlier. Those were all purely academic questions now.

What wasn’t purely academic, however, was her current patient. Aradia Megido lay on the couch, looking a bit uncomfortable to be there. Since arriving on Earth-C, she had stopped wearing her god-tier robes and instead opted for a simple black dress tied off with a crimson sash. June thought she recognized Kanaya’s hand in the dress – something that surprised her basically not at all.

June tapped the clipboard again and cleared her throat.

“So, Aradia, welcome to my practice. My name is Doctor June Egbert, MD, PhD, Esquire.”

She heard Aradia giggle when she said it and June smiled.

June was not, despite her often light-hearted approach to life, an idiot. She knew she had never received formal medical (or legal) training and that a “Doctor Professor” wasn’t a thing anyone actually said. But it put people at ease, so what had started as a silly joke had grown into something that actually served a genuine purpose.

“If you don’t mind, Casey will be taking notes.”

“Casey?” Aradia sounded genuinely unsure and looked around the room. In the corner, Casey waved and made a quiet  _ glub _ sound. Aradia put a hand up in response. “Oh, the salamander. Yes, of course they can take notes.”

June grinned at Casey and nodded her head. “Don’t worry, they have excellent shorthand!”

“Is that a stenographer’s machine they’re seated behind?” Aradia asked, matter-of-factly. June nodded.

“Okay, let’s begin,” June said – and Casey began to tap away.

June: So, Aradia, tell me about yourself.   
Aradia: I fail to see how this is relevant.   
June: No, you see, it’s just how we start therapy. To build a rapport between patient and therapist.   
June: Uh… me. Me being the therapist here.   
Aradia: I thought pretending to be a therapist was what Rose did.   
June: No, see… uh… it’s different! I’ve been reading a lot of books and I’ve already helped a bunch of people!   
Aradia: I know. You came highly recommended.   
June: I… don’t know if you’re being sarcastic or not…   
Aradia: June, I’m not familiar enough with human concepts to know what that is.   
June: You know… like saying something but not really meaning it.   
Aradia: Why would I do that? That sounds unpleasant.   
June: I guess it usually is, actually.   
Casey: Erghghfhjkdj!   
June: Oh, Casey says they’ll make a note that you weren’t being sarcastic.   
Casey: Dofjefodiuo!   
June: And that they’ll transcribe their own speech properly.   
Aradia: Casey seems very helpful.   
June: Oh they are!   
June: But… uh… so why did you want to see me in the first place?   
Aradia: Vriska suggested it. And Kanaya. And also Rose. And Terezi.   
Aradia: Apparently they are all in a complex relationship together and you helped them immensely with their various issues.   
Aradia: They said they consider you a dear friend and excellent therapist.   
Casey: Sdkjfsdapoishr!   
June: I will NOT make a formal note that “Dr. June is blushing from embarrassment!”   
Casey: Sasjdklvnsn!   
June: Strike that from the record immediately!   
Aradia: Is this a bad time to do this?   
Aradia: I’m not even sure what I should be asking you… or talking about.   
June: Maybe we can resume this tomorrow.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Aradia was very precise about being on time the next morning. That made sense, June figured, given that time was her whole  _ deal _ in general. June had been up since early that morning – and Callie had somehow been up even  _ earlier _ and they’d made coffee for everyone. So June had a delicious concoction of sugar, cream, and a little bit of coffee (as a treat). It was basically liquid candy, but she was determined not to let it get to her head.

She’d given the matter a lot of thought the night before. Even after Callie and Roxy were long since curled up together and asleep, June had thought about how she might be able to approach the situation. Aradia had only been on Earth-C for a couple weeks now – June doubted that she had really settled into much of a routine.

When Aradia showed up, she sat down on the couch immediately. June settled into a chair nearby and took out her clipboard again. In the corner of the room, Casey began tapping away on their stenographer’s keyboard.

June: Why don’t you tell me about your experiences before coming here? Like, right before.   
Aradia: Well, I was watching Paradox Space fall apart. It was actually quite beautiful, in a sad kind of way.   
Aradia: I heard a voice – a strange voice that felt like it was  _ over _ me. And it was saying odd things about sprites that never existed, like DaveKat.   
June: Heh… like a Dave-Karkat sprite. Weird.   
Aradia: Yes, exactly like that. But then that voice went away and another one was speaking. And it felt quieter and weaker than the first voice. As if it had already finished most of what it had to say and was just waiting out the rest of its time.   
June: That… actually sounds kind of like what Vriska described from when she was in the black hole.   
Aradia: I know. She told me. I was in a kind of blank void and had no idea how I’d gotten there or how long it had been. I’m sure time doesn’t have any meaning there anyway.   
June: So what happened next?   
Aradia: We talked. They said a lot about narrative and stories. As if the two of us existed in some kind of storyline… but I think they were mostly afraid that they weren’t relevant anymore. I think they were trying to hold onto some shred of that, even if it meant acting in a way that destroyed whatever they saw as being essential to who they were.   
Casey: Ccvkdjakskjewe!   
June: I will make a note that I also got chills hearing that!   
June: It’s like what Vriska described.   
Aradia: I think I felt Vriska there, but only for a little while. She wasn’t around when I was there. It was lonely. I couldn’t hear the dead anymore. I think they were all gone.   
June: And what about now?   
Aradia: No, still nothing. I don’t think this universe works the same way. Or maybe something about me is different. I don’t know, June.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

June: So you said you convinced them to… what? Let you go.   
Aradia: No, I told them I was going whether they liked it or not. I think I convinced them to let themselves go.   
June: What do you mean?   
Aradia: They said they were afraid, so I told them that as long as we make a difference for at least a little while then that matters in some way.   
June: Wow… that’s very profound.   
Aradia: It’s the truth, whether or not you think it’s profound.   
Aradia: In any case they were very lonely. Because all the people they knew moved on. I think maybe they created them… or thought they did, at least. I wasn’t concerned with it at the time although now I wish I’d asked for more details.   
Aradia: I told them I was leaving and then I did.   
Aradia: They tried to tell me I was lonely.   
June: Do you feel lonely?   
Aradia: I’m not sure.   
Aradia: I’m not used to living in a world where I’m not hearing the voices of the dead all the time.   
Aradia: It’s an entirely new experience and I’m not sure if it’s one I find pleasant yet.   
June: What about being around other people?   
Aradia: I’ve been talking to Jade a lot.   
Aradia: I like Jade. She’s nice and she understands what it feels like to be different.   
Aradia: Also she’s pretty and I find her pleasant to be around in general.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

June: So why did you want to see me to begin with?   
June: I feel like I keep asking you for information but you… you seem like you’re pretty insightful in general. What do you need me for?   
Aradia: Is that how I come across? It’s not on purpose.   
Aradia: In truth I feel like I do not belong here.   
Aradia: I was hoping that you could help me find a place on Earth-C.   
June: Don’t feel like you belong? What do you mean?   
Aradia: Much of my life has been defined by cycles that felt like obligations. I wonder sometimes if I was essentially a necessary cog in a very large machine, to use a non-literal phrase.   
Aradia: Now I feel like that purpose has disappeared.   
June: Aradia, you’ve been talking to Jade, right?   
Aradia: Yes.   
June: Have you tried talking to her about any of these feelings?   
Aradia: No, I haven’t.   
June: Do you think you would be comfortable doing that?   
Aradia: Yes, although I don’t see why that would help me.   
June: At least… give it a try, okay?

* * *

* * *

* * *

It was a week later that Aradia showed up for her scheduled session in June’s office (which was a room that she and Callie had designed off of the main house). This time, Aradia seemed to have something specific on her mind. She was sometimes hard for June to read – she tended towards being somewhat stoic, maybe a little on the pensive side at times. But today she was looking downright introspective. Instead of lying on the couch, she had decided to sit on the edge while June sat in her usual chair. Aradia kept looking off into space and down at the floor.

“Are you okay?” June asked, taking a sip of the Callie-coffee she’d gotten earlier. “You seem distracted by something?”

“June, do you like me?” Aradia asked, frowning. “Are we…  _ friends? _ ”

“Yes, I like you,” June responded without hesitation. “I won’t say I know you super well on a personal level but I’d like to think that we’re friends at least a little bit.”

Aradia smiled. “Jade and I went on a… uh… friend date, and we were talking about a lot of different stuff. I mentioned Sollux in a message to her and it got me thinking…” She paused and linked her fingers together in front of her. She began to rub her index finger with her thumb – a gesture that seemed both unconscious and soothing.

“I really miss Sollux. He was someone I felt like I could talk to in a way I couldn’t with anyone else. I guess maybe I didn’t talk about it because… I don’t know, really.” Aradia’s eyes were watering.

“I don’t really…” she took a deep breath. “I don’t know why, but I feel like I should be sadder. I miss him, but also I don’t feel like people who’re crying their eyes out on the floor because they lost someone. I just feel like I have this hollow bit in my heart. I feel like it means there’s something wrong with me. Like I’m broken somehow.”

June took a sip of the coffee to buy herself a second to think, then responded. “I don’t think it means anything like that. Everyone responds to things in their own unique ways. You can still miss Sollux and feel that absence without acting in a certain specific way – they’re  _ your _ feelings.”

Wiping the tears that had collected in her eyes, Aradia smiled at June. “I know… it’s just that it’s been a long time since I felt like I was really connected to anyone. I mean, obviously other than Sollux… but even then it’s been quite some time. You know that time didn’t pass the same way in Paradox Space.”

June nodded. “Yeah, Terezi mentioned something to that effect.”

“Well, the last time I saw Sollux was when we were all fighting Lord English, so it’s been over a decade of your Earth-C time. To me, it feels like longer. Maybe not as long as Vriska was in the black hole, but still…”

“It’s lonely?” June asked, reaching out toward Aradia’s hand. Aradia took the offered hand and half-smiled, looking up at June but quickly breaking eye contact.

“I guess you could say that it is, yes.”

She took a deep breath. “Aren’t you going to have Casey transcribe this and all that?”

“No, I don’t think we’ll do that today. Uh…” June hesitated. “How about for today you don’t think of me as world-famous Doctor Professor June Egbert MD PhD… how about for today you just think of me as June Egbert, your friend.”

“I think I like that,” Aradia’s smile broadened. “I’m not even sure of what to do. Not that I was necessarily a particularly outgoing person before, but after ten years of isolation and some highly unusual experiences, I think I’m ready to maybe find somewhere that I truly belong.”

The conversation lapsed for a bit, and June sat and drank the coffee in silence. Finally, she heard Aradia start to speak again.

“May I ask you a question that you may consider indelicate?”

“Well, when you put it like that!” June exclaimed with a short laugh. She saw Aradia’s face fall and quickly waved a hand. “Oh no! No, it’s fine. I was just joking!” The small smile returned.

“Well,” Aradia said, “it seems that many of the original group of us have… how to put this… paired up? You, Roxy, and Callie are all together. Kanaya, Rose, Vriska, and Terezi have… whatever it is that they have going on. Am I to understand that this is just kind of how we’re doing things around here, then?”

“Huh,” June said. “I’d never really considered that. I mean… I guess everything just kind of happened. But not everyone feels like that.”

“Jade,” Aradia said quietly. “Jade has complicated feelings. She doesn’t want to be in a relationship like that, and she has thoughts that sometimes bother her immensely. But she likes the idea of having someone she can confide in.”

June looked closely at Aradia – she appeared to be deep in thought. “She told you all of that?”

“Yes,” Aradia said. “Well, some of this was stuff I could infer from other things she said… but, overall, yes. We’ve been talking a lot lately. I like Jade a lot.”

Another lull in the conversation. June was looking at Aradia as the troll said and fidgeted with her hands.

After a few minutes, Aradia looked straight down at the floor and opened her mouth to speak quietly. “I think I might feel similarly to how Jade does. I think I might want something like she does… someone that I can be close to without feeling pressured into being intimate in a way I’m uncomfortable with.”

“Well that’s great, Aradia!” June grinned. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the subject, as a matter of fact! I’m sure we can help you out – I think Jade might be a good resource since she’s in the middle of trying to figure this stuff out too.”

Another bit of a pause, then Aradia again. “I think… I think maybe I might like a relationship like that  _ with  _ Jade.”

If June had been in the middle of drinking the coffee, she certainly would’ve been in the position for a classic “spit-take.” But as it was, she was only able to choke slightly on her own tongue. Aradia was still looking at the ground and smiling.

“She’s very nice.”

Another bit of a pause.

“And she’s very pretty to look at.”

Another pause, and June was feeling that this conversation had taken a sharp turn.

“I apologize for getting off track. It was just something that was on my mind.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

June was the first to admit that she’d been a bit confused when Jade had texted to ask if it was okay to bring someone with her to the session. June had gently reminded her that the whole “Dr. June” thing had started as a light-hearted joke to ease tension and was not, in fact, being enforced by anything other than everyone agreeing that this was working for them.

So yes, it was fine to bring someone along with her. Jade had been exceedingly cryptic, simply replying with a brisk “ _ thanks, sis _ ” and nothing more.

On some level it was surprising when Jade showed up the next day holding Aradia’s hand. But then again, on some level it wasn’t surprising at all.

“Glub glub  _ glub _ glub,” Casey said from their corner. June looked over and grinned.

“I don’t recall making any such bet with you.”

Casey frowned, but they didn’t say anything else.

June parked herself in her usual chair and was about to suggest that she retrieve some additional seating when Aradia and Jade walked over and sat down together on the couch. Aradia leaned heavily into Jade, who put her arm around the troll and smiled, pressing her face into Aradia’s thick, loosely-curled hair.

“Okay, well that answers some of my questions at least. Casey, you ready to do your thing?”

“Glub!”

June: All right, let’s begin.   
June: So this is a bit new to me.   
Jade: It’s a bit new to us as well.   
Aradia: We’re still figuring things out as we go. We agree that would be the best.   
June: So, you’re… dating?   
Jade: Sure. We’re gonna go on dates and stuff.   
Aradia: We decided it would be best to just let things unfold however they unfold. We can talk to each other about how we feel and decide what to do if one or both of us is dissatisfied with our relationship.   
June: Well, I don’t know if it’s helpful, but there was a term on Earth for these kinds of relationships. It was new and not super well-known before… y’know… before the world ended.   
June: If you’re interested… the term was “queerplatonic.” Basically something that’s maybe more intimate than a friendship but doesn’t necessarily have romantic or sexual elements.   
Jade: That kinda works.   
Aradia: It does sound accurate.   
June: Well, it’s yours to take or leave however you want.   
June: You know what… Casey, can you stop transcribing?   
Casey: Yopifdsddjkj!

“Thanks,” June said. She looked from Jade to Aradia – from the face of her sister to the face of the troll that she’d only really gotten to know in the last few weeks.

June smiled at them. “Look, I don’t claim to be a relationship expert. I’ve had my own ups and downs and I’m happy but I don’t think I’m the person to be able to tell you how to do things the right way. I don’t think there  _ is _ a right way here. I think that’s whatever way makes you both happiest.”

“Terezi said something similar when I talked to her,” Jade said quietly. “That it was about everyone talking and figuring this stuff out together. I think we can handle that, right?” She turned toward Aradia, who smiled.

“Yes, I believe we can both handle that,” Aradia said.

Jade, for the briefest moment, looked  _ sad _ to June. “I’m not gonna lie and say everything is all fine with me. I’m still seeing glances from other timelines and I feel… not-great about that. In fact, I get some downright  _ weird _ feelings when it comes to that. Stuff I’m still not sure about. But Aradia’s been nothing but understanding and she and I… I feel like we’re on the same wavelength in a lot of ways. Maybe not on everything, but on the things that matter.”

Jade still had her arms wrapped around Aradia, and June saw that the troll was gently squeezing her sister’s arm – trying to lend some comfort to her when talking about something that was clearly entering some very distressing territory.

“I’m not planning to go running off by myself again,” Jade continued. “And I feel a lot more like  _ myself _ in a lot of ways. Certainly as far as the whole sexuality thing goes, anyway.”

She sighed to herself and her embrace tightened almost imperceptibly. “God knows what the bounds on our immortality are exactly, but let’s say we’re going to be sticking around for a  _ long _ time. Right now this is something making both of us happy.”

June nodded. “I know, Jade. I might not be a relationship genius, but I definitely know that you two are doing this the right way. And… I’ll always be here to talk if you need a professional opinion.”

There was a lump in her throat forming. June swallowed hard.

“Or… if you just want to talk to your little sister.” She was trying  _ very _ hard not to start crying – it was a fight she was probably destined to lose.

Seeing her struggle, Jade stood up from the couch and walked over to hug June. She leaned in and June was enfolded in a warm embrace.

“I… I didn’t know if you were gonna come back after you and Terezi split… I’m just glad to have you back. We never go to actually… y’know… be sisters back on Earth. I’m just glad to see you feeling happy. You don’t deserve to be lonely all the time… no one does.”

“Thanks, June,” Jade said softly. “You’re a good sister and I love you so much.”

Jade sat back on the couch and June wiped her eyes with a corner of her shirt, smiling broadly. “I’m happy for both of you. You know my door is always open if you ever want to talk.”

When all the usual good-byes and promises to see each other soon were said and done, Jade gave her sister another hug and kissed her on the forehead. And then it was time for Jade and Aradia to leave – they had explained that they were planning to go to dinner together and June didn’t want to keep them any longer. So they walked out together, holding hands once more.

“Huh… they’re really cute together,” June said to no-one in particular.

“Glub glub glub glub,” Casey replied.

“No you did  _ not _ ‘call this from a mile away’ – don’t lie like that!” June grinned as she said it – to show she was just kidding and not really mad at Casey.

“Glub glub glub.”

“You’re right… this  _ was _ a good day – a good day for everyone.”


	2. Cultural Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave Strider's lack of understanding for Carapacian culture causes friction.

The sash didn’t say “Mayor” on it anymore – that had been his old life. His life in the Before Times. No… instead, his sash now had a new title on it. A title that, if June was informed correctly, meant more than  _ Mayor _ ever had. A new title of vast import and considerable responsibility. A title that inferred all manner of things – all of which this former Mayor took very seriously.

The sash read “Director” – and that was what he was. He sat in June’s office in her home and looked around with the same unabashed curiosity that he always seemed to have.

June checked herself – she wasn’t actually sure whether or not the Carapacians had a strong concept of gender and despite the fact that she and her friends had constantly referred to the Mayor/Director as a “he,” she wasn’t actually sure that anyone had asked.

“Excuse me… uh… Director?”

The Director turned and nodded.

“I’m sorry, but, ah… we’ve been referring to you using human male pronouns for years and I don’t know that you ever said if that’s okay. Is that… okay?” She asked, looking closely at the Director.

The Director waved their hands and nodded, his eyes squinting up in the way that the Carapacians smiled. Thumbs-up. Okay, so  _ he _ was fine with it. Good.

June smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Director.” She looked over at Casey, at their usual place behind the stenographer’s machine. “Please make a note, Casey.”

“Glub.”

It occurred to June that she was aware that the Carapacians used some form of sign language to communicate outside of writing, but that she’d never actually had the opportunity to learn it. That would be a problem.

“Mr. Director, would you mind terribly if we talked using text? I don’t know Carapacian and I don’t want to just be talking  _ at _ you.”

The Director nodded and pulled out a small tablet computer from the folds of his robes. He was obviously quite well prepared for this!

The Director stood up and shook his head, his eyes scowling a little. He made a quick sign with his hands and nodded to June, then turned to walk out.

“Wait, I’m sorry!” June called after him as he reached the door. The Director turned and shook his head again – then he was gone out the door before June could say another word.

“Oh…” June said, mostly to herself but also a little bit to Casey. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Glub glub glub.” Casey responded.

“You’re right… I could’ve handled that better.” June sighed.

* * *

Jade: Hello? June – what’s wrong?   
June: So you’re smart and stuff, right?   
Jade: I’ve… been told as such, yes.   
June: Yeah. Neat. I’ve got kinda a weird problem that maybe you could help me with.   
Jade: Sure, what’s up?   
June: Well, the Mayor… I’m sorry, the Director he’s called now… he showed up today and he was saying some stuff about Dave’s ideas for their movies and I was saying maybe it was just a joke and then he got mad at me and told me to learn Carapacian and I think he got mad and then he left.   
Jade: …   
June: Are you… there?   
Jade: June.   
Jade: Yeah?   
Jade: June.   
June: What?   
Jade: What do you know about the Carapacians?   
June: I dunno… they… uh… they lived on Prospit and Derse and stuff. And then they fought in the big battles and… uh… they really like human culture a lot.   
Jade: Oh boy… this is gonna take a bit.   
June: What do you mean?   
Jade: So you remember how it was with your dad and the clowns… he thought you would like them and you kind of felt like you had to at least pretend to like them because of how important he was to you, right?   
June: Sure.   
Jade: Use your Doctor Professor brain here, June, seriously.   
June: You’re saying the Carapacians just pretend to like human stuff because of us?   
Jade: I mean, sometimes. We’re literal gods to them, and they’ve looked up to us for thousands of years. We just kind of… come back into things and suddenly they want to make us feel happy and at home on their planet. So they adopt a whole bunch of human stuff.   
Jade: And they obviously like a lot of it and it’s fun for them… but also, they put up with a lot of our bullshit because they look up to us.   
June: Oh no…   
Jade: Yeah. And movies are new to them, so they were mostly just going along with whatever Dave suggested because he was the one that said anything. But now it looks like they’re trying to make their own version of the art.   
June: So why’s it so offensive that Dave is doing that? Can’t they just ignore him?   
Jade: Sure, but probably a lot of them feel afraid to say anything. Or they don’t want to hurt Dave’s feelings.   
June: I don’t think he’d actually be hurt by that.   
Jade: Probably not, but they don’t know that. The Director obviously takes this seriously – and he’s close to Dave, so he probably feels uncomfortable telling him directly. Carapacian culture is very big on subtext and context.   
June: Oh. Is that why he asked me to learn Carapacian?   
Jade: Yeah, I think so. Carapacian is a complex sign-based language. It took me two years to learn it.   
June: You know Carapacian?!   
Jade: What do you think I was doing on the ship with my time – just sitting around being miserable?   
Jade: I mean… I was. But I also learned Carapacian.   
June: I don’t think I have two years to do this…   
Jade: I’ll help translate if you really want, but you need to understand that they have their own culture. Like, they’ve had five thousand years to develop a society with its own rules and stuff.   
June: I guess… I guess I didn’t really think about it like that. Because of all the human culture stuff.   
Jade: June, when it comes to human culture… uh… the Carapacians are kinda like… uh like  _ weebs! _   
June: Did you just say…   
Jade: Look, it’s the best word I could think of to describe it, dammit! They like the ideas of a bunch of human culture but they have no sense of what it actually means.   
Jade: Dave acts like it’s a big joke he can play around with but most of us don’t think much about it because we don’t interact with them a whole lot…   
Jade: Oh shoot I just got a good idea!   
June: What?   
Jade: Have you considered that you live with someone who’s worked extensively with the Carapacians?   
June: …   
June: Oh shit I didn’t even think about Roxy! I bet they know Carapacian.   
Jade: Honestly they’d probably be more in touch with their culture than me. My Carapacian is basically like speaking Old English half the time.

* * *

“Oh Roxyyyy…” June knocked on the door to Roxy’s small office. They were sitting at large drafting table with a sheet of paper in front of them, tracing lines that June only barely knew the meaning of.

“Mmm?” Roxy responded, not looking up from their work.

“What’re you doing?” June asked, walking in to look at the drafting table.

“Circuit diagrams,” they responded, pausing and sticking the back end of their mechanical pencil in their mouth, looking thoughtfully down at the paper in front of them. “Working on a revised flow-control mechanism for a septic system and the off-the-shelf control circuit wasn’t the best.”

“Isn’t it easier to do that on a computer?”

Roxy shrugged and retrieved the pencil from their mouth, tracing another faint line. “Maybe, but I like doing it like this. Makes me feel more… connected to the work. Y’know?”

June wasn’t she that she  _ did _ know, but she nodded anyway. “Sure… can I ask you something?”

“Go for it, babe,” they responded, not looking up from their work.

“Do you know how to speak Carapacian?”

They nodded. “Of course. I’ve worked with them for like eight years now. It’s a hard language to pick up but once you get the hang of it, it’s really expressive.”

“Cool…” June thought for a second. “And did you talk to them about… you know… stuff?”

“Stuff?” Roxy laughed and put down their pencil. They swiveled their drafting chair to face June and smiled at her. June’s heart raced – they were  _ so _ pretty. This was a highly inappropriate line of thinking for Doctor-Professor business! June swallowed.

“Uh… Yeah… stuff,” June laughed as well. “Like… interests and hobbies and… stuff…”

They smiled and stood up to walk over to June. Softly, Roxy reached out and touched the sides of their partner’s face and smiled. They kissed her on the lips and laughed again.

“You’re unspeakably adorable when you’re like this. Yes, we talked about all kinds of things – not much else to do while waiting for the computer to run numbers.”

“But not, like, just human stuff?”

They shook their head. “No, they have a lot of really interesting cultural things. Did you know they’ve got a whole community dedicated to LARPing the whole Prospit-Derse thing?”

June did not know this.

“I need you to help me with a case, Rox,” she said. “Can you help me translate for the Director?”

“Sure,” Roxy smiled as they kissed June again. “How about tomorrow afternoon?”

* * *

The Director agreed to another meeting, although he seemed somewhat reluctant. The other part – and June wasn’t sure about this but it needed to happen eventually – was having Dave actually come in and talk to the Director.

June had set up a bunch of chairs from the kitchen in a circle so that they could all sit together and talk. Roxy was there to act as an interpreter – mainly to allow the Director to talk in a way that felt natural to him.

Once everyone was seated, June looked over at Casey. “You ready?”

Casey: sdasdfkjhehfgu!   
June: Excellent – thank you for transcribing, as always!   
Roxy: Director! Good to see you again! How’s the thing going with the Skai-ball league?   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: Ha! Yeah, that dude’s a dick!   
Dave: Hey… why am I even here?   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: He’s also wondering why Dave is even here – he doubts his sincerity.   
Dave: Yo, I am like… two-billion percent sincere!   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: He’s saying that the comically exaggerated percentage really isn’t helping your case.   
Roxy: …    
Roxy: Dave, I agree with the Director – can’t you be serious for once?   
Dave: I am, like, a thousand percent serious.   
Roxy: Can the record reflect that I’m rolling my eyes?   
Casey: rgorvidfsahajdh!   
Roxy: Thanks.   
June: We’re here because it has come to my attention that the Director has some issues with your constant joke suggestions for movies, Dave.   
Dave: Those are preemo grade-A prime cut choice suggestions! Die Hard 3: City Hard? Best shit ev-ar!   
Roxy: Oh shut the hell up, Dave!   
Dave: You can’t silence art.   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: Oh… hold up, this is complicated…   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: Uh… shit… this is nuanced, let me try this out. Director, my man, you let me know if I’m not getting this good, ‘k?   
Roxy: Okay, so… he’s explaining that his culture was often considered to be subservient to the whims of the constructs of Sburb itself… to the whole Prospit, Derse, and Skaia thing. And now they’re had a few thousand years to actually develop their own thing. Like, they have music and painting and writing and stuff.   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: Right – and movies are new to them. They never had that technology before we showed up with a bunch of alchemized tech and they’re just getting used to all this stuff. And they want to explore…   
Director: [quick gesture]   
Roxy: True – the Director in particular wants to explore using movies to tell stories that’re actually Carapacian. And Dave keeps trying to make these jokey suggestions that everyone runs with… hold on, I’m bad with the nuance here… Director, can you help me out?   
Director: [gestures]   
Roxy: Yeah, okay, that’s what I thought.   
Roxy: So partly they go with it because they don’t really know what to do with cinema, and sometimes the Carapacians aren’t familiar with the original work, and sometimes they just want to make Dave happy because they like him. Like… it’s weird…   
Director: [gesture]   
Roxy: Yeah… kind of like he’s a god but also kind of like he’s their little brother they have to humor.   
Dave: Yo, W-T-F? I thought we were buds, Director!   
Director: [gestures at Dave]   
Roxy: The Director thought so too, which is why it hurts his feelings so much that you keep doing this. Because the Carapacians keep going along with it, and it means they’re focusing their resources on making these jokey… uh… meme-movies instead of making any kind of serious art.   
Director: [gestures to Roxy]   
Roxy: Right! Because there’s not a lot of Carapacians that have the skills to make films right now. And you’re taking that and basically using it to make your own dumb fucking jokes.   
Dave: Oh.   
Dave: Oh wow.   
Dave: Yo, I’m feeling super attacked on right now. I’m fucking OUT.

Dave stood up, making a peace-sign with his fingers. “Peace, assholes.”

He turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

June sighed. “Well that didn’t go great.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

Karkat: What the fuck?   
Dave: Hey…   
Karkat: What the fuck?   
Dave: Karkat… I’m…   
Dave: I’m sorry.   
Karkat: What the–   
Karkat: Wait… what?   
Dave: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.   
Karkat: Okay… now who’s the pod-person?   
Dave: Yeah, I guess I kinda deserved that one…   
Dave: Really, I’m sorry. I guess… I’m still used to defending myself all the time. Like, back when I was a teenager I had to basically be ready all the time in case some shit went down. Didn’t get much better fighting for my life against everything Sburb had out for us…   
Dave: I know that shit is like, ten fucking years ago almost but… God…   
Karkat: Dave… you know you’re allowed to be vulnerable, right?   
Karkat: Like, we’ve talked about this.   
Dave: I know… just… it feels different when everyone’s telling me I did something wrong.   
Dave: And I really didn’t mean to hurt the Director’s feelings like that.   
Karkat: I don’t think I’m the one you need to be telling all this to.

* * *

* * *

Callie was just getting off the phone when June walked into the kitchen to make lunch. She could hear them finishing the tail end of their conversation.

“Yes?”

And pause.

“Okay, that sounds lovely. Thank you for calling,” they hung up the house phone – a quant throwback to a simpler time on old Earth, but it was convenient for folks that needed to call  _ one _ of the residents and it didn’t necessarily matter which one.

Callie turned and saw June.

“Oh, hello, darling,” they said. “I just got off the phone with Dave and he will not be returning for another meeting.”

June felt her face falling. “Oh…”

But Callie smiled. “Oh, do not worry! It is on account of good news! Apparently Dave and the Director have settled their differences on their own time.”

June smiled, but inside she felt a little… disappointed. She’d really wanted to help, and the session had gone so badly. And now the Director and Dave were just… good again? She supposed there was more to it than that, but it still felt anti-climatic somehow.

As she was pondering this, Roxy walked into the kitchen as well. They saw June’s face, turned to Callie, and asked, “What’s her deal?”

Callie shrugged. “I believe she is disappointed because Dave and the Director have reconciled on their own.”

“I’m not disappointed,” June said, a little bit defensively. “I just… I wanted to help.”

Roxy walked over and took one of June’s hands – a moment later, Callie was holding the other.

“June,” Roxy said, “I’m sure you helped. Maybe you didn’t get to say some big, smart thing about feelings or whatever stuff you were gonna do to make things better, but you still got them talking about the problem.”

Callie nodded. “Sometimes the best way to help is simply to open the door to the conversation and let it take place on its own terms. Otherwise you may end up forcing the issue and making things worse.”

June’s face lit up with a small half-smile. “I know… I just want to do well with the whole therapy thing, you know?”

Roxy and Callie exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

“June, you’re doing fine with the whole therapy thing,” Roxy said.

“The best,” Callie added.

And together, they leaned in and each kissed one of June’s cheeks. She blushed…

Smiled…

And immediately felt better about herself.


	3. I Believe I Am An Imposter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. June helps a friend struggling to find the meaning in her actions.

The phone was ringing. June wasn’t awake enough for this to fully register at first.

 _Her_ phone was ringing. June struggled out from under the metaphorical blanket that was sleep, and the very literal blanket that was the blanket covering her, Callie, and Roxy. Her partners were sound asleep – Callie neatly propped on their back and Roxy sprawled out, half-leaning on Callie’s shoulder and snoring loudly. June extricated herself from the tangle and reached over to grab her phone from the nightstand.

“Hello?” June could hear the sleep in her voice. “Who is this?”

“Yes, June?” Kanaya’s voice was quiet on the other end. “Is this, perhaps, a bad time?”

June blinked thickly – she had no idea what time it was. “Kanaya? I’m sorry… what happened?”

“Oh,” Kanaya said, her voice sounding… surprised? “I am sorry – to be honest I had not planned this conversation any further. I had a matter I wished to discuss with you.”

“And it was an emergency?”

Kanaya paused, and when she spoke again her voice was very soft. “No, I suppose it is not an emergency.”

June rolled her eyes, even though Kanaya couldn’t see it. “Okay… come by tomorrow and we’ll talk. Go to sleep, Kanaya.” She hung up the phone and set it back on the nightstand.

With only a brief second thought about what was keeping Kanaya up so late, June wormed her way back under the covers and lay down, her arm laid across Roxy’s chest and touching Callie’s stomach. Closing her eyes, June drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Kanaya showed up early that morning – not nearly as early as the ungodly hour she had first called at, but early enough that June was just getting ready for the day. Roxy had just left for the work they were doing for the New Alternian Planning Commission and Callie was already sequestered in their writing room until they could meet their morning’s goal. June was just finishing her morning coffee-adjacent-sugar-based-beverage when she heard a tentative knocking on the front door.

June walked over to investigate and saw Kanaya through the window to the side of the door. The troll was standing on the front porch and wringing her hands, looking nervously around. As soon as June opened the door, she bustled in and put her hands up in front of her, palms pressed together.

“Oh! Thank you very much for having me over at such an early hour. I truly did not mean to alarm you with my late call – I simply felt the urgent need to speak to you about something. In your capacity as Dr. June Egbert, MD, PhD, Esquire of course.”

June nodded. “Ah yes, of course.” She was still a little on the far side of tired to feel much like doing the Doctor-Professor bit right then, but she smiled anyway. “I might be a bit on the low-energy side this morning, but you’re welcome to come in and have a seat.

Kanaya smiled at this, but said nothing. Together, they walked back to the office space that June used for her therapy sessions. To June’s surprise, Casey was already setting up their stenographer’s machine in the corner. June started and took a drink from her not-really-coffee.

“How are you up so early?”

“Glub glub glub glub,” Casey replied.

June’s face flushed. “Now it is none of your business what keeps us all up late at night!”

Casey shrugged – a strange gesture for a giant, bipedal, salamander – and finished setting up their equipment.

Kanaya walked directly to the couch designated for the patients and sat delicately on it, as if she were riding a horse side-saddle. She neatly folded her hands in her lap and waited patiently for June to finish getting ready. Once she’d settled in and put her things down, June nodded to Casey to start transcribing, turned to Kanaya, and grinned.

June: So, what did you need to talk about? Is something specific wrong?  
Kanaya: No – not exactly.  
June: Okay. Is everything – okay at home?  
Kanaya: Why yes, thank you.  
June: Oh...okay. Is everything good between you and your partners?  
Kanaya: Yes – thank you for asking.  
Casey: sadagvjiqwjiqo!  
June: Yes, thank you, I can hear her tone as well.  
Kanaya: I do not have a tone!  
June: Tell me about how things are going with you, Rose, Vriska, and Terezi. Are there any recent changes I should know about?  
Kanaya: Absolutely not – we are as steady and stable as ever.  
Casey: sdacklsakjdkalj!  
June: I can see that – stop the transcription!

Kanaya sat delicately on the side of the couch and began to cry. She produced an embroidered handkerchief from a pocket and dabbed at her eyes, trying to smile.

“I am so sorry that you must see me like this, June,” she said, holding back a small sob. “I fear that I am very much out of sorts at the moment and have brought this squarely to your doorstep.”

June had no idea why Kanaya was starting to cry, but she felt her heart hurting for the troll. June reached out, extending a hand toward Kanaya. The troll looked up from behind her handkerchief, smiled, and grasped June’s hand.

“Thank you very much, June. You are truly a good friend. I can see why Rose trusted you so much all these years.”

“Kanaya,” June started. “Is everything okay with you and Rose? Or you and Vriska? Terezi? I hate to poke something that’s maybe sore, but this all seems very unexpected. I thought you were all doing pretty well.”

Kanaya nodded. “I understand. The truth is, we _are_ doing quite well. We have all figured out many of the dynamics that keep our relationship functioning smoothly while remaining invigorating to all the participants!”

“Then what’s wrong?” June asked, leaning forward. “I’m really sorry Kanaya – is there some Alternian thing I’m not getting here?”

She shook her head and dabbed her eyes again with a corner of the handkerchief with a small “KM” embroidered on it – in light of the expanded nature of Kanaya’s relationship status, it was wise she had decided to simply keep her name when she married Rose.

“It’s not any one thing – it is, in fact, frightfully hard to put into words. I feel as if I am wasting your time, which only makes me feel worse!”

June squeezed Kanaya’s hand. “Hey. _Hey._ I know we maybe didn’t know each other that well during the game, but it’s been _eight years_ , Kanaya!”

Kanaya sniffled, and June kept talking. “Like – I don’t know how to put this without sounding like a goof, but you’re like a big sister to me. Or maybe a little bit of a mom? An aunt? Do trolls have aunts?”

Kanaya smiled. “I understand the meaning, June.”

June grinned. “Yeah, so you’ve always been super close to me. You made me that dress way back – remember?”

Brilliant blue silk – the first outfit of many. A chance for her to be herself for the first time in a lifetime. Kanaya remembered – she smiled softly.

“Yes, June, of course.”

“So, yeah,” June said, feeling a bit awkward. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“Yes,” Kanaya said. She drew her hand back from June’s grasp and clutched the handkerchief to her chest. “Perhaps that is why I find this so difficult. You have always seen me as one of your elder human relatives who provides guidance and comfort, but I fear that my current predicament is quite a… silly one, in the end…” she trailed off.

June was feeling more confused by the minute. “Oh geez, Kanaya – can you just _tell_ me already?”

Kanaya… _blushed_? She fumbled into her pockets and took out her phone – a sleek black Carapacian phone housed inside a clear protective case.

“I think it would perhaps be easier to simply show you part of the original source of my distress.” She tapped the phone a few times – when she was done, she handed it over to June, who looked down to see that Kanaya had opened a web page.

June handed the phone back to Kanaya.

“This is the fan fiction website that Karkat made with Meenah, right?”

Kanaya nodded – June nodded.

“And the Dark Umbrage is Rose’s latest series. I’m still working my way through the second one.”

“That is correct. That’s a very good one, but it really starts to pick up in volume three,” Kanaya smiled beatifically.

“Cool. And I’m going to assume that LuminousScrivener is _you_ , given the profile picture.”

Kanaya blushed and didn’t say anything, but her pointed avoidance of June’s gaze made the answer self-evident.

“Neat,” June said – then she paused for a moment. “And I’m going to guess again and say that _Mary Kanayam_ is a self-insert character you’re making to pair up with Rose’s already-obvious Rosella self-insert character?”

Kanaya’s face exploded in a flush of jade and she began to fidget with her handkerchief, turning it over and worrying it in her hands.

“Was it that obvious?” her question was a barely-audible whisper.

June felt her heart swelling and she had to desperately suppress the urge to cry. “Kanaya–” she started to sniffle. “ _That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!_ ”

Kanaya was crying. June leaned in and reached to put a hand on her knee, trying to comfort her. “Oh, hey… did I say something wrong? What’s wrong, Kanaya?”

She dabbed at her eyes again, but the tears were still bubbling up and streaking down her perfectly-done makeup, leaving small streaks. “It is a bunch of garbage, June.”

June cocked her head to the side and frowned. “What do you mean? I _read_ it just now. It’s not garbage – it’s actually really sweet. Has Rose seen this?”

Kanaya shook her head. “No. She hasn’t, and neither have Vriska nor Terezi. They were all going to be in the story. I invented characters for them and was going to have all of us…” she trailed off again and fidgeted in place. June thought she looked profoundly uncomfortable.

“What’s the matter? I mean, this seems cute. You’re in a relationship already, and I’m assuming it isn’t going to be like… a sex story, right?”

Kanaya’s face flushed jade again. “I would never write such a thing… for public consumption.” June felt the last bit she added was a very fine distinction indeed, but she wasn’t going to press the issue.

“Okay, sure. But it’s sweet. You’re writing about your girlfriends. That seems nice. What’s the problem?”

“Was it not clear from the subtext of the work?” Kanaya asked, looking up at June. June wasn’t sure that a fragment of a first chapter could necessarily be said to have much subtext, but she didn’t say it. “That Mary feels completely outmatched by the women that she’s in love with! They are all incredibly talented in their own right, and Mary is simply… well, she is simply kind of _there_. Maybe she’s good at talking to them, but what good is that when they deserve so much more?”

“Has Mary considered that maybe she’s being too hard on herself?” June asked. “I mean, Rosella sounds amazing, and I’m interested to know more about the pirate queen and detective.”

Kanaya smiled, her fangs poking from beneath her top lip. “Oh, they’re quite fascinating! And also very beautiful. That detail is plot-relevant, I assure you.”

June had a very hard time believing Kanaya’s earlier statement about this not being a story that got into some rather _blue_ territory, but she left it alone.

“Okay, that sounds wonderful! But maybe Kan– er, _Mary_ has things to offer as well.”

“Like what? Being fussy? Making clothing? We can alchemize _clothing_!” Kanaya sounded almost disgusted as she said it and her face fell. “I mean… in the stories… they can use magic to make clothing.”

“What if Mary was working on writing to impress the others? To maybe get closer to Rosella who…” June struggled to remember if Rosella had been a writer in the books. She was basically Rose, she must’ve been! “Who wrote the _Dark Compendium_! That was what it was called! Maybe Mary is trying to get closer to her by writing something of her own.”

Kanaya sniffled. “Perhaps, but Mary’s writing is garbage and not fit for human or troll consumption… ah… whatever the Dark Umbrage has instead of trolls, I mean.”

June was quite sure there was no equivalent to trolls in the books.

“In any case, those are her three main character traits,” Kanaya continued. “Bad writing, making useless clothes, and being fussy.” She looked like she was about to break down crying.

“I know of one woman who Mary made a dress for and it meant an awful lot to her,” June said softly. She could feel the tears burning behind her own eyes. “That she showed such a simple act of kindness to someone who needed it more than anything.”

June watched as Kanaya’s face transformed – her eyes widened and her mouth hung open – and her eyes were a constellation of tears.

“I…” she couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“I bet,” June continued, “that she’s done a lot of things like that. Like the times where she sat up with Rosella when the nightmares wouldn’t stop. Or when she spent an afternoon planning a picnic for the detective and made sure to pick foods with interesting colors specifically for her. Or when Mary spent an extra long time reading aloud to no one in the library because the pirate queen was hanging out pretending to be doing nothing – but she was actually listening to the story being read.”

Kanaya sniffled. “They… told you about those things?”

“About lots of things. I normally wouldn’t say anything – I take this therapy thing seriously – but I feel like you need to hear it.”

June leaned back and tented her fingers, putting them in front of her chin and sighing. “It’s easy to put yourself down – to tell yourself you’re just not good enough. Or to compare yourself to other people who’re successful. Especially when those are people you care about.” She looked right at Kanaya, who bowed her head.

“It’s hard.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s so hard not to feel like that. I don’t want to tell them how it feels because… I don’t want to look like that. Alternia didn’t – it didn’t encourage seeking attention. Not unless you were a Highblood and sometimes – most times not even then.”

June sighed and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose. “You’re not on Alternia, Kanaya. You can be what you want here. You’re creative – I think it’s normal for someone who’s as creative as you to seek out a little bit of attention for what they create. You want others to enjoy it – I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Kanaya began to smile again. “I suppose that is true. Did you really like the dress I made that much?”

Eight years. It had been eight years since she’d come out, and eight years since Kanaya made her that beautiful blue dress and flowed like the wind around her. One of the first acts that had made her truly feel like she was accepted as herself.

“I still have it,” June said. “It’s hanging up in my closet and every time I go to get dressed I see it and it reminds me –”

She sighed. “It reminds me of how you never once questioned me. You were just happy to be able to do something to show how much you cared about me.”

Kanaya was crying again, but it seemed _different_ now. She was still smiling. June stood up and walked forward – Kanaya opened her arms and June bent down to wrap her in a warm hug.

“Kanaya – no matter what, you’re doing something you love. You do so much for the people you care about. You can be proud of that – you can show them who you are and they’ll be happy to see what you’re creating.”

“Even silly fan fiction that is transparently about myself and them?” Kanaya asked, her face half-buried in June’s shoulder.

“Yes, Kanaya – even silly fan fiction that’s obviously about your big gay crush on your partners.”

Kanaya’s face grew warm. After a moment, she let go and sighed to herself.

“I apologize, June, for taking up so much of your time with this nonsense. I was, perhaps, being extremely silly about the whole thing. I do hope you will forgive me.”

“It’s fine,” June said. “I love to help my friends!”

Kanaya smiled at this and pulled out her phone. She absentmindedly clicked.

June saw her eyes grow wide and her mouth was gaping open. She looked like she was about to cry again and June stood up without even thinking about _why_ – she needed to act!

“What’s wrong?” June could hear the worry in her voice.

Kanaya laughed. She closed her eyes and laughed until she was doubled over and a very different kind of tear was streaming down her cheeks. June was thoroughly confused.

“What?”

Kanaya opened her eyes and turned the phone so June could see the screen.

June couldn’t help herself – she laughed. Kanaya laughed.

Kanaya dropped the phone on the couch and hugged June again – a tight embrace that completely pulled June into her until all she could smell was Kanaya’s soft perfume. June closed her eyes.

“We all care about you, Kanaya,” June said. “And those three – they care about you the most.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, Dear Reader, thank you for reading! Please leave a kudos if you liked this work, and comments are always welcome. I will attempt to respond to most comments if at all possible.
> 
> If you enjoy this and want to keep up with my own exploits, please follow me on social media:  
> Twitter: twitter.com/AltUniverseWash  
> Tumblr: transkanayamaryam.tumblr.com


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